Wednesday, February 25, 2009

i don't think we truly realize how much the environment around us affects our mood. that said, the construction is still going on and i have been heavy with the ickiest of moods lately. the dark and gloomy kind full of moments where you think maybe you can live under the bed and with any luck maybe i can disappear. sigh. it isn't fun but it is real and i hate these feelings of ick and uncaring. i feel like i'm not breathing deep enough and i am so very tired for no real reason other than my small world around me is unpleasant. unfortunately, when this a-go-go girls gets blue, she goes shopping (or she eats lucky charms, or maybe she does both, shh.) so last week i hit a couple of local thrifts and picked up some color filled trinkets. here's what i found:this fisher price clock, which i had as a child and was told that my father took a hammer to it when i wouldn't stop winding it up. i'm not sure if that is true or not. i'm only certain that i had it and then i didn't and i come from a family that doesn't generally throw anything away.a small book filled with color images of Klee's work. I do art with children where we put together projects "in the style of" famous artists. these post-card sized images will be great for inspiration. also, a most fabulous and totally "jek" doily. it's orange and blue! how perfect for me is that? pictured here as well is a wool felt runner i got for $3 that i can cut up for other projects and a vintage apron tribute to all the Jewish holidays. the apron is reversible and sooooo cool! i already have a few friends who want to borrow it for seder and such.finally, a small stack of fabrics and prints. on top there is a set of vintage pillowcases, followed by a blouse i can wear and a skirt i cannot. the flashy fabric on the bottom is a part of a kooky patchwork lap quilt. i think the fisher price clock cost more than this small stack of stuff but ultimately, all the goodies cost me just under $20! how's that for a thrift score?

Thursday, February 19, 2009

oh allergy meds, how i love your magic on the evil scent stealers in my nose. really, i adore being able to smell the tea i am drinking, the wet earth in the garden, the freesias in bloom. if only you didn't sweep me away as i sleep making an early morning reentry into the real world so darn difficult. if only my return each morning could be as easy as whipping up a batch of dreamy shortbread. i woke up late this morning. crazy late. the kind of late people dream of. not too late, not late enough to feel like i slept the good day away, but late enough so that i am reminded of the hours wasted in sleep. i am certain the idea of those hours being wasted can be argued. after all, the sheets were freshly laundered and my skin was freshly bathed. the sheer sensation of all that goodness combined with the crisp not to cold air and the lunacy of my dreams made for some delightful adventuring. they still linger in the back of my mind but don't ask me to tell you because the words won't be there.all those hours spent in dreamland will keep me from fixating on this machine. today i have class and work and reading so i will refrain from running away on the internet. for today at least. today i will brew up some orange dulce tea, mix up a batch of cookies and share with you how pretty it can be to soak lace on your windowsill in a variety of happy, pretty, teas. this week, i am a guest designer on The Art is Found. the prompt was lace, so for a good ten days, the tiny casa was confetti'd with bits and scraps and pieces and lengths of pretty vintage lace. read all about it here. happy thursday. may it be a crafty one!

Monday, February 16, 2009

a week full of busy in big spurts, the rest of the time was filled with school and such. there was blood giving and luch vavoomin', paper writing and coffee breaking and the ever present bad brain made a too long guest appearance. bah! i hope this week is better, brain wise...

Saturday, February 14, 2009

earlier this week, in honor of valentine's Day, i introduced my good friend SoMany to the world of blood donation. it takes under an hour and your blood has the potential to save up to three lives. more, if you count the various studies they may use your blood in as well. times are tough for most of us and when you want to give but find yourself stretched ever so thin financially, get your blood flowing and give a little from your heart instead.if you have never given blood but want to yet cringe at the idea do something that sharp sticking in you for that long, relax, it isn't so bad and you get free cookies at the end! not everyone can give blood but if you can, i would highly recommend it, especially now when their is a need. i can't help but think of all my friends surrounded by those awful fires. giving here in california to my local blood bank may not help directly but i like to think that it sets something in motion and the ripple effect will get to where it needs to. every little bit helps. and the photo ops can be fun!not everyone can donate blood. when you donate blood, make sure ahead of time to eat well and take care of yourself. you can't donate if yer feeling woozy. you also need to have a healthy weight and good level of iron. another reason to take care of yourself! if you have been recently tattooed, you must wait a year before donating and some medications may keep you from giving your good stuff away. once you sign up, you get interviewed. all your stats are shared, name, address, et cetera. your temp is taken along with your blood pressure and pulse and then comes my least favorite part, the finger prick. why oh why does this hurt more than the needle? i really, really, dislike this part which is funny because i jab myself while sewing all the time. maybe it is because i know it is coming, kinda like that puff of air they shoot at you when you get your eyes checked. aack! when that is done, you are left alone with a laptop to answer yes or no questions regarding some personal issues. when yer done, it is show time!

i'm usually at a blood drive when i do this so i'm usually in a wobbly, bobbly, blood mobile. you walk down the narrow walkway to one of four camper style cots. park your behind up on that blue vinyl, swing your legs around, take a deep breath and lie down. you're good, it's already almost over. a phlebotomist in a crisp white coat will be at your side chatting it up and singing along to those eighties tune that are squeezing out of the tinny speakers. your arm will get a rubber strap tied around it while a large squeeze ball is placed in your hand (mine looked like an enormous clown nose). this is to help find a good vein. you only want to be stuck once, right? he or she then will wipe the crook of your arm (quite excessively) with an alcohol swab and betadine. they will also ask if you are allergic to the topicals they are using. after your arm is sufficiently orange enough, the needle goes in quick and smooth. while you relax, you need to remember to squeeze that clown nose in your hand every five or ten seconds. this helps gets you pumping.the needle is connected by tube to a special bag that is marked "volunteer donation". there are a couple of tubes that branch out and they use these to fill up a small collection of vials if you agreed to be a part of any other testing. you donate a pint, which fits nicely in that bag that hangs down below your arm so you cannot see how pretty (or freaky) it looks. they don't want anyone passing out ya know! of course, if yer an oddball like SoMany & i, you can ask to see and they will show you. you can even take a picture of it but they won't let you hold it for a self-portrait. drats!donating a pint of blood can take as little as five minutes or as long as twenty or more. it all depends on your blood. SoMany & i are quick drippers and squeezed our clown noses good and tight. we were done in under ten minutes. when you're done, you sit up slowly and drink a bottle of water. when you can move from your sitting position, you travel to another seat and gorge yourself on cheese crackers, oreos and juice. gotta get that blood sugar up again.

you may feel a little loopy afterwards and your arm will feel odd and disconnected for a short while. there may be bruising and soreness over the next day. but, another cool thing about giving blood is that after you're all done, you NEED to take it easy. no heavy lifting, no downward dog, just relaxation with a pile of pretty magazines and a happy plate of sweets. if you think this is something you want to do, contact your local Red Cross. you can go online anytime to find a blood drive near you. and if you're a first-timer, the nifty folk at 1-800-GIVELIFE will set up an account for you. sometimes the blood drive is in a super nifty place. SoMany and i got to hang out in the super guarded lobby of the Capitol Records building (no pictures!).less than 30% of first time blood donors return to give blood so make sure you repeat if you can. you can give blood up to six times a year, think of all those free cookies! if the idea of all that red stuff has you light headed, head on over to Red Cross to check out their volunteer program or give directly. lucky for you and everyone else, there are three ways you can help! Click here for the Australian Red Cross.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

last week i entered two contests. both had prizes that i completely and utterly coveted. while i might not have won the Bake It Pretty giveaway from The Crafty Crow (darn!), i did score two ticks to a show i have been itching to see for many, many years. yes folks, mr. a-go-go and i got free ticks to see the one and only Lucha Vavoom (thank you Franklin Ave.! if you have followed me around this blogland world, you may know that the mister and i are super keen on burlesque and all things campy kitschy. we're still mourning the move of the miss exotic world pageant from the ever so dandy land of helendale to the chaotic world of vegas.the show was last night, in honor of Valentine's Day and while i thought i wanted to go for the burlesque, it was the wrestling that hooked me in...maybe it was the crazy chickens. yes, it was definitely the crazy chickens. can you imagine if there was a lobster as well? aack, a-go-go heaven! anyway, mr. a-go-go and i got clipboard, guest list, special entrance awarded. once in we were guided to a tiny table selling tequila shots for a whole buck less than all the other bars of which there were plenty. we scoped out the small space for us non-wristbanded ringside sitters and hightailed it upstairs to the balcony for a birds eye view of the ring. after we got our 'spensive drinks, he a beer and me a shirley temple, we sat back to enjoy the pre-show of nifty mexican pop music and wordless vintage Lucha Libre flix. excellent. throw in a go-go dancer or two or maybe some boots for me and i could be happy for quite a while. the show was crazy, insane. loud, campy and full of flips and gasp inducing choreographed moves. i loved it! drama, intrigue, pasties and a pogo stick.Dirty Sanchez was up to his usual (very) dirty tricks while Chilango saved the day in his fiery red shorty shorts.Chupacabra was up to no good, kidnapping Bonita Labelle before the pasty reveal.those crazy chickens are most definitely loco though i think the most loco was Lil' Chicken who did a most fantastic swan dive off the upstairs balcony to the drunken elite below. crazy! so crazy, they won!while them chickens are a hoot to watch, you get whiplash trying to keep up, the final match of the night was enthralling. the belt wearing Cassandro got dog-piled and whipped by Hector in a blaze of flips, kicks and tricks. the show was awesome, the commentary by Blane Capath and Tom Keeny was almost more amusing than the show.a swell time was had. from one Franklin Ave soul to another, thank you again Franklin Ave. blog!

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

it was the kind of morning where sleep couldn't be kicked off like covers that lay upon me. the covers couldn't even be kicked off. they held me down in a tangled embrace, keeping me warm and snug and safe from the early morning cold.it was the kind of snug that lulls you into a sleep so deep that when you finally push your way to the surface yours eyes refuse to stay open. lids heavy with cozy sleep, blink, blink, blink their way open only to seal up for another hour whilst you dream of vintage kitchens and submarines that nest under your home. it was the kind of snug sleep in a cold, cold room that keeps you in one position for hours on end. generally, i skip about as i sleep moving from one dream to the next. sometimes i follow the dream of the mister and sometimes he gently nudges me out of a good snore. generally there is movement and dance and a search for a cold spot for my feet to feel free. last night was one of those nights where the chill kept my nose cold and i cocooned myself up so that i didn't move until morning. until after the alarm went off....twice. i slept so deeply, so heavily that my ear was angry from all the pressure it felt. my knee was hollering for its wonky state and the blanket creases that party on my skin partied so hard they refuse to go home. it was a good sleep. a deep sleep. a sleep that was hard to rise from.and then the buzz saws turned on.

so, good sleep or not, i am up and ready for a fabulous day. the clouds are not as dark as yesterday, the ground outside is dry and i have a day scheduled with a favorite person and we are going to smile ourselves silly. i hope your sleep was good, your morning better and your day the best it can be.

the lovely folk

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